Microwave transmission lines themselves are well known and often take the form of a flexible or semirigid coaxial cable. Such cables are typically provided with a connector at at least one end of the cable for connecting the cable to a source of microwave energy or to a load. Connectors for microwave transmission lines in the form of coaxial cables are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,778,535 and 4,545,637. Connectors for coaxial cables for non-microwave uses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,275,737, 4,053,200 and 4,156,554.
It is also known that there are several important requirements that a microwave connector must satisfy. The connector must present a constant characteristic impedance, must have controlled compensation of electrical discontinuities resulting from unavoidable dimensional changes, must meet close mechanical dimensional tolerances (.+-.0.001 inch), and must not introduce reflections in the microwave transmission line. It is also desirable that the connector provide high cable-to-connector retention strength, so that the connector does not introduce a weak mechanical link in the microwave transmission line. The connector must further provide electrical continuity with minimum ohmic losses and protect the transmission line from environmental effects.